


Risk Management

by thirty2flavors



Category: Borderlands (Video Games), Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Family Bonding, Family Drama, First Meetings, Gen, Gen Work, Origin Story, Pre-Game(s), someone please help these sad children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 20:46:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12373728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirty2flavors/pseuds/thirty2flavors
Summary: “Maybe what?” demanded Fiona, on her feet again. “Maybe he just really wants to help ‘cause he really wants kids and he’s gonna adopt us and we’re gonna live happily ever after ‘cause he’s soooo nice? Is that what you think? How stupid are you?” She shook her head. “Grow up, Sasha.”





	Risk Management

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually one of the first Borderlands fics I started way back in May, but then I got stuck for a long while. Happy to finally see it finished as I've really wanted to write something totally focused on Sasha and Fiona, and their backstory is very interesting to me and we only get tiny snippets of it in the game. Someone plz help the babies.

The man they were stealing from had only one eye.

It wasn’t that unusual—lots of people on Pandora were missing something or other. Fiona stared at it anyway, openly agog as she spoke. It was rude, but that didn’t matter; anything that kept the man focused on her and not on his belongings.

“...looking for my little brother, he was just here, I told him to wait, I was gonna be right back, I _swear_ , I wasn’t gone long, but now he’s not here, and I can’t find him anywhere, and I’m _really_ scared, please will you help me look for him, please, he’s gotta be around here somewhere, I’ve gotta find him, I just...”

It was the same speech she’d given about a dozen times now, and she had it more or less down to memory, even the intonation: the big wide eyes, the waver in her voice, even tears. She even practiced sometimes, not that Sasha, who thought it was hilarious to watch Fiona make herself cry, was a helpful audience. 

It worked, though. At least, it worked when they found someone who cared enough to listen to Fiona’s pleading, which was about 50-50. 

“Whoa, there, slow down,” said the man, and Fiona stopped herself mid-sentence, punctuated with a pitiful sniff. “When did you last see him?”

He sounded kind. That was good; maybe he’d pay attention. The more attention he paid to Fiona…

“Five minutes ago,” she said, rubbing her nose on her dirty sleeve for emphasis. “I think. I was barely gone at all, and he just—”

“Okay,” he said. “And what’s his name?”

“J-Jason.”

“And what does Jason look like?”

“He’s about this tall—” she held her hand to her shoulder—“and he’s paler than me and he’s got brown hair and blue eyes and a green shirt and...”

She carried on describing the anti-Sasha as quickly and vividly as she could, fixated on his fake eye. She shouldn’t need to buy too much more time; then she’d make an excuse, convince him they should split up to find Jason, and meet back up with Sasha at their rendezvous point. 

Easy.

Except…

“Aha!” cried the man, grabbing Sasha’s wrist right as she reached for his wallet. “Thought so.”

For a split second, nobody moved. Sasha’s eyes went wide. Fiona’s fake quivering lip froze into a look of terror. 

Then several things happened all at once.

Sasha tugged backwards with all her weight, and when that failed to break his grip, she lunged forward, sinking her teeth into the man’s hand. Fiona barrelled into him, shoving his chest with both hands, and yelled, “Sasha, _run!_ ” 

The man staggered. His arm swung at Fiona, and as she scrambled out of reach she overbalanced, landing flat on her back in the alley. 

His one visible eyebrow raised in alarm as she fell. “Oh, I didn’t—” 

Distracted, his grip was loose enough that Sasha ripped her arm free and bolted away. He spared her only a brief glance over his shoulder before he loomed over Fiona, leaning close, one arm reaching for her—

“Get away from me,” Fiona snapped, pointing his own gun straight at his chest.

She could tell from the look of surprise on his face that he was mentally replaying the last couple minutes, struggling to pinpoint when, exactly, he’d lost his gun. 

“I see,” he said simply, sounding impressed. “Very good.”

Through the adrenaline, Fiona felt a rush of pride. 

“Get away,” she repeated, wagging the gun for emphasis. 

He held up both hands in surrender, but he smiled. “Just two things you should know. One, that gun is a fake—”

“Liar.”

“—and two, I don’t believe you’ll shoot.”

Fiona scowled. It was true that she’d never fired a gun before, and true that she wasn’t keen to start. Guns were trouble, and she and Sasha already had enough of that. 

But she held her chin defiantly. “How do _you_ know?” 

“For starters, your arms are shaking,” he pointed out. 

That was true, too; the muzzle of the gun wobbled back and forth in her unsteady hands. She grit her teeth and gripped it tighter, and the gun steadied, aimed at his heart.

“That’s more convincing,” he conceded, but he was still smiling, the bastard. “But you still don’t really look like a seasoned killer.”

Fiona’s scowl deepened. 

“Threatening someone with a fake gun only works if you look like you might follow through,” he carried on. “But if you look like a scared little girl holding a toy—”

The anger creeping up in her was starting to supercede the fear.

“I am _not_ scared,” insisted Fiona, “and I will shoot, so—”

Infuriatingly, the man still seemed calm and patient. “See, at this point in this scenario you have two options: either you’ve got to shoot me for real, or you’ve got to make me believe that you would.” 

“I will! Get away from me, or I’ll—”

He shook his head. “I don’t believe you. Make me believe it.”

Fiona grit her teeth, screwed her eyes shut and squeezed the trigger.

Nothing happened.

When there was no bang or bloodspray or sudden dead weight overtop of her, Fiona opened her eyes, frowning in confusion at the gun. She clicked the trigger a second time, and a third, and whacked it with the heel of her palm.

“ _Ugh_! What kind of _weirdo_ carries a fake gun?” 

Out of options, she threw the gun at his head. 

It bounced harmlessly off of his fake eye and clattered to the ground. For a single, awkward moment they simply looked at each other. 

Suddenly, with a scream of rage, a blur of pink and brown came out of nowhere and attached itself to the man’s neck in a flying leap. 

Sasha had him in a chokehold.

Fiona rolled away from the man and pushed herself to her feet, staring at her sister in amazement. “What are you _doing_? I told you to run!” 

“I’m— _helping_ ,” Sasha grunted. 

But her grip wasn’t strong enough to do any damage. Unfazed and oddly amused, the man simply stood to his full height, Sasha dangling from his neck like a kicking and screaming backpack. 

He pried her arms from his neck with relative ease. Fiona darted forward, catching Sasha around the waist before she fell to the ground. 

“When I tell you to run, you run!” yelled Fiona, staggering backwards under Sasha’s weight and bumping up against the alley wall. “That’s the rule!”

Sasha wriggled out of Fiona’s grip, glaring. “You’re not the boss of me!”

“ _Yes I am!_ ”

“Are not!”

“Girls!” 

The man’s voice startled them both to attention. Fiona grabbed her sister by the arm, hauling Sasha behind her back. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” said the man. “I just want to talk.”

Fiona is not so easily fooled. “I don’t believe you.” Sasha wriggled behind her, but Fiona held firm, her eyes darting to the alley entrance behind him. “Let us go.” How had she let them get cornered? Stupid, stupid—

“I will! I will. Just, hear me out, please.” Deceptively innocent, he held his palms in the air, still blocking their path out of the alley. “My name is Felix. I think we could help each other. I could use some small hands like yours, and—”

“You wanna take our _hands_?” cried Sasha, horrified and disgusted.

Once again, Felix looked torn between shock and amusement. “No, no, I didn’t mean—”

“That’s _gross_ ,” said Sasha decisively, poking her head under Fiona’s arm. 

“That’s not what I was trying to—”

“We’re not interested,” said Fiona, emboldened by his floundering. “We’re leaving.” 

She grabbed Sasha by the hand, inching along the wall around Felix, who stepped out of their way, palms still raised. He was more annoyance than threat, Fiona decided. Thank God. 

They’d just passed him, about ready to book it, when he asked, “Are you hungry?”

Fiona rolled her eyes, opened her mouth to tell him to shove it, when—

“Yes,” said Sasha.

Fiona whipped her head around to glare at her sister. “Sasha!” 

“What? I am!” She’d stopped walking, pulling her hand free of Fiona’s.

“I have plenty of food,” offered Felix, which only made Fiona’s glare deepen. “Be happy to share.”

“No thanks,” said Fiona tersely. “We’re fine.” 

“No we’re not, I’m hungry!” Sasha backed away as Fiona reached for her. “I’m _so_ hungry, Fi, it’s been days and I’m _starving_.” 

“Let me help,” said Felix again. 

With her face screwed up in a mutinous pout, Sasha stomped her foot and folded her arms resolutely. Fiona’s cheeks felt warm, her chest tight and panicky, her own empty stomach more nauseous than ever. Sasha was too young; she didn’t get it like Fiona did, couldn’t think beyond her immediate need to realize what debt might mean, or that charity was a joke, or that sometimes staying alive meant saying no to something you really wanted. 

“We don’t need help,” she told Felix. “Come on, Sasha.” Grabbing Sasha’s upper arm and ignoring her protests, Fiona dragged her towards the road.

“But Fi—”

“ _Shut up, Sasha!_ ” 

The outburst was accidental, but it had the necessary impact: after a brief flash of hurt, Sasha’s expression settled into bitter defeat and she glared at the ground. 

Lifting her chin, Fiona continued their march out of the alley. 

“If you change your mind,” Felix called after them, “I’m in the caravan at the end of the road.”

“We won’t,” Fiona muttered.

* * *

Still nursing a grudge and a rumbling stomach, Sasha followed after Fiona like a stormcloud, ignoring Fiona’s half-hearted attempts to start conversation.

So the sisters walked in silence back to their latest resting spot, the rooftop of a dilapidated building in a secluded fringe of Hollow Point. Accessing it required a nimbleness and a lightness most adults couldn’t manage, which made it about as protected as they could hope for. 

Soon enough, Fiona knew, she’d be too heavy, too; a rotting piece of wood had broken underneath her foot the other day as they climbed to the top, and she was already tall enough to press her palm flat against the cave ceiling above. 

Fiona reached the top first, as usual, then stooped down. Sasha refused the helping hand Fiona offered, heaving herself up over the last ledge on her own after a few seconds of struggle.

“You’re getting better at that,” said Fiona, smiling.

Face still screwed up in an angry glower, Sasha said nothing.

Sasha was a world-class sulk when she wanted to be.

Ignoring it, Fiona walked to the corner of the roof that held the small pile of all their worldly treasures: a lighter, a couple knives, a pair of scissors, a threadbare sweater three times Fiona’s size, the one-armed teddy bear that doubled as Sasha’s pillow. Fiona dug through the pile until she found what she was looking for.

“Almost out of water,” she announced, lifting the bottle high to show Sasha. “You want the rest?” 

Sasha stomped to a corner of the roof and sat down in a huff. 

Fiona rolled her eyes. “Okay, then. I’ll have it.” 

She made a show of unscrewing the bottle cap, expecting Sasha to protest, but Sasha kept her arms folded tight and stayed quiet.

“Are you just never gonna talk again?” Fiona asked.

Sasha resolutely looked away. 

Fiona’s eyes narrowed, her impatience finally outweighing her guilt. She kept the water bottle closed and tossed it the ground.

“Well, good,” said Fiona. “It’ll be nice and peaceful, not having to listen to you whine all the time that you’re cold or you’re tired or you’re hungry or—”

“He was gonna give us food!” Sasha finally exploded. “He was gonna give us food, and you _ruined_ it—”

“Just ‘cause he _said_ he was gonna doesn’t mean he was. You don’t know what he was really gonna do—”

“Neither do you! Maybe he was just—just nice, or—”

“Nobody’s nice, Sasha, you should know that by now, that’s not how—”

“Maybe he was! Maybe—” 

“Maybe what?” demanded Fiona, on her feet again. “Maybe he just really wants to help ‘cause he really wants kids and he’s gonna adopt us and we’re gonna live happily ever after ‘cause he’s _soooo_ nice? Is that what you think? How stupid are you?” She shook her head. “Grow up, Sasha.”

With a wordless yowl of rage, Sasha pulled off one of her shoes and threw it at her sister’s head. Fiona ducked, and the shoe sailed over the edge of the roof and clattered to the road below. 

“Good job, idiot,” said Fiona, hands on her hips. “Now you’ll have to—to hop around everywhere!”

“I hate you!” Sasha shouted. 

“Yeah, well, I don’t _like_ having to take care of you, either!” Fiona’s cheeks were red hot, her heart thudding in her chest. “It’d be so much easier if I was on my own!” 

Fresh out of comebacks, Sasha screeched in frustration before turning her back on Fiona, plunking down onto the roof and curling into a tight little ball, knees to her chest and face hidden. 

Fiona kicked the bottle of water back into the pile with the rest, crossed her arms, and scowled at the cave wall.

It was supposed to be easier now that Sasha was older. That was what Fiona had always told herself. Sasha could help scavenge, help with jobs, help come up with ideas and solve problems. But she also needed more to eat. She was less amenable to Fiona’s authority, more headstrong, quicker to anger. With each day as Sasha grew, so did her understanding of her own circumstance, and with it, her own unhappiness. 

Fiona’s stomach rumbled angrily and she bit down on her lip, trying to trick her mind into thinking she was full, that she’d just had a huge meal with meat and fruit and cheese and eggs and fries and chocolate cake and ice cream and those soft, doughy things their mom used to make, once in a rare while, if they had some ingredients left over, or if it was a special occasion—Fiona’s birthday, maybe, or…

As usual, it only made her even hungrier. Fiona closed her eyes, tugging at the ends of her long hair until she felt the sting of it at her scalp.

The sound of a hiccup distracted her from her gurgling stomach. She turned to see Sasha’s shoulders shaking, the odd sniffle escaping the tightly curled ball that was her little sister. Fiona’s eyes narrowed, her lips twisting in a scowl. 

It wasn’t fair. She was hungry too, and tired, and cold, and thirsty, and she wasn’t crying about it like a stupid baby. 

But Sasha hiccuped a second time, and then a third, and Fiona’s throat felt tighter and tighter each time. 

With a sigh, she dropped down over the ledge of the roof, climbing back down to the alley.

* * *

Finding Sasha’s missing shoe didn’t take long. Finding something edible took longer, and after circling all the dumpsters and garbage cans in a three-block radius, Fiona had only managed to come up with a half-eaten protein bar. Still, it was better than nothing, so she tucked it and the shoe into her pocket before going back.

Sasha was still hugging her knees when Fiona returned, although the crying had stopped, dried tear stains running tracks through the dirt on her face. It wasn’t until Fiona sat cross-legged in front of her that Sasha looked up, her eyes red and puffy.

“Hi,” said Fiona, and when Sasha said nothing, she held out the shoe. “I got this for you.”

Sasha was quiet for a moment, looking at it like it might bite, before finally she reached out and slipped it back on her foot. “Thanks,” she said quietly.

“And this.” Fiona held out the protein bar too, wrapper bent to look slightly more appetizing. “Not much, but…”

Sasha took it without complaint. She looked at it for a moment, a tiny frown on her lips, before she snapped what was left in half and offered part to Fiona.

“Oh, I… I already ate some,” Fiona lied, and so Sasha popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly. 

From the wrinkle of her nose, Fiona guessed it didn’t taste very good. While Sasha ate, Fiona looked down at her lap, playing with her fingers, picking some of the dirt from underneath her nails. 

“Look, Sasha, I’m…” She sighed. She’d never been very good at this part. “I—”

“I’m not stupid,” Sasha said suddenly, firm despite the congestion still in her voice.

Fiona blinked. “What?”

“Earlier.” Sasha’s shoes scuffed the roof. “You said…” She shook her head. “I’m not stupid. I’m not. I just… I wanted…” 

She broke off in a loud sniff and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

“I know,” said Fiona, her throat closing up again. “I know you’re not.” Her eyes burned too and she blinked to clear her vision. “I wasn’t trying to be mean. I’m just trying to keep us safe, and…” She swallowed. “It’s hard.”

“Because of me.” Sasha stared down at her shoes.

“No,” said Fiona quickly. “No, because…” She struggled for a second before shrugging. “I don’t know. Because it just is.” 

Chin resting on her knees, Sasha absorbed her sister’s words without comment. Then she said, “My tummy hurts.”

“Yeah.” Fiona pressed a hand against her own flat stomach. “Mine too.” Fiona took a deep breath, forcing some cheer into her voice. “But it’ll be okay, Sasha. I’ll find us something better to eat tomorrow. I promise.”

Sasha nodded half-heartedly, and Fiona’s own smile wavered. For Sasha to be this unreachable was rare. Nudging Sasha’s calf with her knuckles, Fiona grinned wider.

“Hey, wanna play Dream Planet?” Without waiting for an answer, she screwed up her face in mock concentration. “I think when we left off we were talking about how it rains candy, but—”

“No,” said Sasha, lifting her head. “I’m not a baby.”

“I—I know, I—”

“I’m just gonna go sleep.” Sasha rolled to the side and pushed herself onto her feet from her knees. “Night, Fi.” She rescued her teddy from the pile of stuff, then curled up in a corner of the roof, bear clutched to her chest.

Fiona stayed where she was for a long moment, her stomach hurting for more reasons than hunger. Then she stretched out where she was, staring at the cave ceiling until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Fiona didn’t sleep well, or for very long. The pain in her stomach had grown difficult to ignore, and though she laid on her side for a while, willing herself to think of something else and go back to sleep, eventually she gave up. She scrubbed her bleary eyes, then sighed.

She had to do better today. If she couldn’t get any money, she’d steal food directly. Most of the food vendors in this part of Hollow Point knew her, and they kept a close eye on her, and they definitely wouldn’t be forgiving if they caught her, but she’d have to risk it. Sasha needed food. So did she. Water, too.

Mind made up, she pushed herself up by the heels of her hands. She tried not to involve Sasha in the riskier plans, but working alone brought its own set of risks, and Sasha was small and quick. There wasn’t much of a choice.

But when she looked over to rouse her sister, the patch of roof was empty.

“Sasha?” she called instinctively, and then again, louder, as she rose to her feet. “Sasha, you around here?”

No answer. Obviously.

Fiona walked the perimeter of the roof, looking down into the alleys below and finding nothing. 

“Sasha?” she called again, to no avail. “Sasha, I swear, you are in so much trouble when I find you!”

No response to that, either. It wasn’t completely unheard of for Sasha to wander off by herself, but it was rare enough that Fiona’s heart was beating faster. How badly had Fiona messed up last night?

Sasha’s teddy bear sat in place of pride atop the rest of what they owned. 

Alone on the roof, her heart in her throat, Fiona used a word her mother had once lectured her for.

“Fuck.”

* * *

The rest of Hollow Point was starting to wake up, milling through the streets as Fiona darted in and out, calling for Sasha. Typically, Fiona tried to keep a low profile; it was better for the both of them if people didn’t recognize her or Sasha, and for the most part, that was easy—no one paid any mind to a couple of orphans on Pandora. 

Now that she _wanted_ their attention, though...

Sasha was nowhere to be found in the nearby side streets, or even a couple blocks out, and as much as Fiona tried to keep her head on straight, her heart was beating faster and faster as time elapsed. 

Where had Sasha gone? 

She might be older, smarter and more capable than she’d ever been, but there was an endless list of ways someone could get into danger on Pandora, no matter how smart or capable. 

“Hi, sorry,” said Fiona, breathless as she ran up to a man who looked to be on the safer end of the bandit spectrum. “I’m looking for my sister, Sasha, she’s—”

“Yeah, yeah.” He pulled his arm out of her grip and waved her away. “Nice try, kid.”

“No, I’m serious! She’s—”

But the man had already walked away. 

The next three people were no more helpful, and when the fourth drew a gun in her face, Fiona ruled out help from strangers. She stumbled down alleyways and side streets, calling Sasha’s name. 

No matter how angry she was or what point she was trying to make, Sasha wouldn’t willingly wander this far from Fiona… would she? Had something happened to her? What if she needed help? 

Or maybe she’d gone back by now, only to find Fiona missing. Should Fiona go back, too? What if they kept missing each other? 

Braced against a brick wall, Fiona struggled to think through the haze of panic threatening to envelop her. Her eyes stung, her throat was tight, her stomach churning with hunger and worry. She slid down against the wall and put her head between her knees, her breath coming in shorter gasps.

She’d lied last night about it being easier without Sasha. It would be so much harder.

Fiona stayed where she was for a moment, eyes shut tight, biting down on her lip as it quivered, willing her breathing to even out again. She had to find Sasha; there was no other option. 

Lifting her head, Fiona looked around, trying to catch her bearings. In her frenzy, she’d lost track of where she was in Hollow Point, but now she could see she was not far from where they’d been yesterday when they’d tried and failed to steal Felix’s wallet. 

Blinking, Fiona pushed herself back onto her shaky feet and jogged down the road to the caravan parked at the end of it.

* * *

The caravan door rattled as Fiona pounded on it.

“Hey!” she called as she knocked, necessity eclipsing her pride. “Hey, open up, I need your help!” 

Felix opened the door before long, quick enough that Fiona very nearly hit his chest with her fists as she knocked on air. 

“Hello,” he said, eyebrows raising in pleasant surprise. “I was—”

“Sasha’s missing,” said Fiona without preamble. “You need to help me find her. She’s…”

Fiona’s voice died out as Felix stepped aside, letting her see into the caravan. There was a table behind him with a long, curved booth with plush red seating. Sitting at the table, tucked into a massive plate of food, was Sasha.

“Hi, Fi,” said Sasha sheepishly. 

The wave of relief that washed over Fiona was followed by a surge of anger.

“You’ve been here the _whole time_?” she roared, storming over to the table. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Sasha cowered, though the guilt wasn’t enough to drag her away from her plate of food. “I didn’t mean to be gone long, I was hungry and—”

Fiona punched the top of Sasha’s arm. “ _Don’t wander off like that!_ ” 

“I was gonna bring you back food,” said Sasha quickly, scooting around the bench out of Fiona’s reach. “I was, but then—”

Fiona climbed in after her. “You could’ve been—been—kidnapped, or—or—”

“I was just gonna come and get us food and be back before you woke up,” Sasha continued. “But then Felix wanted help, and then he was _making_ food, and then…”

She shrugged, rubbing her arm where Fiona’d hit it.

“I just wanted to help,” said Sasha, quiet enough that Fiona stopped in her tracks. “You—you said it was hard, and that it’d be easy without me, and I just—I wanted…” 

She trailed off. Fiona’s heart, which had been doing acrobatics all morning, stuttered again. 

“You shouldn’t’ve done that,” said Fiona, much gentler this time. “You scared me.”

“Sorry.” 

But Sasha was smiling again, and Fiona reached out to tousle her curls.

“We should go,” said Fiona, starting to slide to the end of the bench. 

“But I’m still eating!”

“Sasha…” Fiona began, but her adrenaline draining away, leaving exhaustion in its wake.

“You’re welcome to stay,” said Felix, still watching them with that amused expression. Fiona’d nearly forgotten he was there.

“No, I… we…” 

But the smell of Sasha’s food hit Fiona’s nose for the first time, and she remembered abruptly just how very hungry she was. 

As though she’d had read Fiona’s mind, Sasha stabbed her fork into a fat piece of pancake and held it up to her sister’s face. “Try some. It’s _sooo_ good.”

Fiona stared at it, biting her lip. She still didn’t trust the food, or Felix. No one gave free food to sad little orphans out of the goodness of their hearts. Fiona wasn’t stupid. If something seemed too good to be true, it was.

But Sasha had already eaten. If there was something nefarious about the food, it was too late. Besides, they were indebted now anyway. Maybe…

“Come _onnnn_ ,” Sasha wheedled, practically waving the fork in Fiona’s eye, and finally Fiona relented, grabbing the fork to steady it as she brought it to her mouth.

An undignified whine escaped her as she swallowed, her eyes slipping shut. God, it really was good. How long had it been since she’d had proper hot food?

“See?!” Sasha beamed. Then she tugged her plate and fork back away from Fiona. “This is mine, though. Get your own.”

“I’ll make you some,” said Felix.

He walked to the kitchenette to get started while Sasha wolfed down the rest of her food. Fiona let herself relax against the booth, legs stretched out in front of her and eyes closed as she soaked in the smell of the food, the sound of Felix tinkering in the kitchen, the clatter of Sasha’s cutlery against the plate. Long-buried memories resurfaced of her mother, cooking in their tiny kitchen, and the corner of Fiona’s mouth turned up in a small smile. 

Felix set a glass of water and a plate of pancakes and eggs in front of her almost faster than she could believe it, pulling her back to the present. Fiona leaned over it, taking a second to appreciate the sight of it, the smell, the heat of the steam rising off her food—then she grabbed her fork and dove in.

There were lots of questions she wanted to ask Felix, and lots of answers she needed, but they all evaporated as she shovelled pancake into her mouth. 

“Oh my _God_ ,” was all she said, and Felix laughed.

Next to her, Sasha bounced happily in her seat, empty plate shoved aside. “Show Fiona what we made,” she said to Felix, then nudged Fiona with her elbow. “Fi, Fi, look.”

Fiona looked up to see Felix pulling out a very large gun, and nearly choked on her pancake. “You made her—?”

“It’s fake!” Sasha announced, like this was the cleverest thing imaginable. “Isn’t it cool?”

Fiona sat up straighter, studying the gun in Felix’s hand, her brow furrowing. “Okay, what’s with you and all the fake guns?”

“People pay quite a lot of money for guns around here,” said Felix. He set it down on the table, and Fiona shied away from it instinctively. “A lot more money than this cost to make.”

Fiona tilted her head, looking closer at the gun. It looked real enough to her, but what did she know? “They don’t notice it’s fake?”

“Oh, I’m sure they do.” He smiled. “The trick is to be long gone by then.” 

Breaking the yolk of her egg, Fiona considered it. “Sounds risky.”

“It sounds _cool_ ,” said Sasha.

“It is risky,” Felix agreed. “But so is pickpocketing strangers in a town like Hollow Point.”

Fiona felt her cheeks turn red, but she kept her face collected. “We don’t have a choice.”

“I’m not judging,” he said, lifting his palms in surrender. “There are much worse ways to make money on Pandora. Do you have a lot of success with that one?”

Fiona sat up straighter. “Sometimes.”

“Did you come up with it on your own?”

Fiona held her chin higher, shoulders squared. “Yes.”

“It was pretty good,” he said. “But I have some advice.”

Fiona rolled her eyes.

“You should switch,” he continued. “She distracts.” He pointed at Sasha. “You grab.” His finger moved to point at Fiona, who opened her mouth to protest, and he added, “You were a better pickpocket; I didn’t feel you take that gun at all. Besides—she’s cuter.”

Sasha, pleased with the compliment, stuck out her tongue at her sister. Fiona huffed, and decided to avoid answering by taking a long drink of water. When she’d emptied the glass, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“So that’s it?” she asked. “That’s all you wanted us for, making some dumb gun?”

Felix smiled. “Not quite.” He slid out of the bench and stood up. “Let me show you something.”

As he went off to fetch something from the corner of the caravan, Fiona and Sasha exchanged a shrug. Fiona had just scraped the last of her egg off her fork when Felix dropped a stack of cash onto the table so large the impact made her plate rattle.

“Holy crap,” said Fiona.

“ _Whoa_ ,” said Sasha, eyes as wide as her empty plate.

“It’s all counterfeit,” said Felix, waving one hand. “But I have a proposal.”

* * *

Felix had been casing the store at the end of the block for a week.

Fiona and Sasha knew it well; if they peered in the window, as they sometimes did, they could see the display of baked goods at the back, tantalizing and mouthwatering. The rest of the store held practical items that would make all sorts of things that would make their lives easier, but it was always the baked goods that caught their eye. Hard to think of much else when you were hungry.

Fiona wasn’t hungry now, though. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, she was pretty sure the discomfort in her stomach was from eating too much. Slumped in the booth, one hand on her belly, she listened as Felix explained.

There was an employee at the store who worked one night a week and wasn’t as diligent as the others. The other employees were diligent in making drops—depositing any surplus cash from their register into a safe. This one was easily distracted. Sometimes he forgot, leaving more money in the register than he ought to. Very occasionally, he’d even leave the register open and unattended—if, say, someone made a last-minute order from the counter while they were being rung up.

And that was how it all came together, Felix said. If the timing was right, if one was quick enough, if the distraction was sufficient… it might even be possible to take something out of the register. 

Or to swap something.

“It’s a bit of a risk,” he admitted, “but mostly for me. You and your sister won’t be doing anything wrong; I just need you to distract him for a little while.”

Fiona narrowed her eyes. “What’s in it for us?”

“Whatever I get, I split with you.”

Fiona crossed her arms, considering him and his plan. There was always the possibility there was an aspect he was holding back. That if caught he’d pin the blame on them, somehow. Or maybe he’d simply take off with whatever he got.

She looked over at her sister. Sasha’s whole face was lit up, though whether from excitement at the prospect of adventure or the total sugar rush from breakfast, Fiona couldn’t tell. 

“Fine,” she said to Felix, “we’ll do it. But we get half.”

* * *

Sasha and Fiona waited around the corner and out of sight as Felix headed into the store. 

Planning the gig had taken most of the day, and then there’d been the matter of waiting for the correct cashier’s shift to start. Felix ran through specifics over and over, while Sasha and Fiona planned the details of their distraction. They were supposed to give him a head start—enough time to browse around, look convincing, pick up some things to purchase. Once as he was heading to the check out where they to head inside themselves, picking through items and being as conspicuously streetrat as possible.

It was evening now, and Fiona drummed her fingers against her thigh while they waited, nibbling on her bottom lip. She still wasn’t sure this was a good idea. She tried to think of the ways it might go wrong, the ways it could be a set-up, in the hopes that she could avert it. 

Beside her, Sasha peeked around the corner of the wall, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Do you think this’ll work?”

Fiona shrugged. “Dunno. Hope so.” 

“I like him,” said Sasha with a decisive nod. “He’s nice.”

Fiona frowned. “Yeah… we’ve still gotta be careful, Sash.” 

Sasha rolled her eyes. “I _know_. But maybe—”

“Shh,” hissed Fiona, partly because she wanted to to listen for anything happening in the store, and partly because she wanted to delay this conversation. She peeked around the corner as well, overtop of Sasha’s head. It looked like Felix was making his way to the register. Was that their cue? 

“Come on,” she said, taking Sasha by the hand and leading her into the store.

The little bell above the door chimed as they walked in, and the man behind the counter looked at them suspiciously. Felix, perusing the shelf nearest the cash, didn’t look up.

Together, Fiona and Sasha gravitated towards the shelf nearest the exit. Sasha picked things up and set them down again, running through the items with an enthusiasm that was only partly faked. Fiona stood besides her, check over her shoulder many times with a practiced conspicuousness, ensuring they had the man’s attention. He was watching them suspiciously, his eyes narrowed.

Good.

“Think that’s it,” said Felix cheerily as he moved to the register. He set the handful of items he’d collected on the counter, and the man rang him through with one eye on Sasha and Fiona. “Oh, and actually, a half-dozen of those muffins would be good, too, thanks—”

Fiona moved on instinct, blocking Sasha from the cashier’s view. Sasha stuffed one of her hands into her pockets, reached for something on the shelf, and then—

Big hands grabbed the both of them by the arm, jerking them away from the shelf. Fiona blinked, pretending to be startled as she looked up at the red face of the cashier.

“What the hell are you two doing?” he demanded. “You think I can’t see you?”

“We didn’t do anything,” said Sasha, simpering and innocent. “We—”

“All right, kid.” The cashier let go of Fiona to hold one beefy hand out to Sasha. “Hand over whatever you took and I won’t have to hurt you.”

“I didn’t take anything!” Sasha insisted, louder this time. She wriggled in his grasp but couldn’t break loose. “Let go of me!” 

“Bullshit.” He loomed over Sasha, twice her height and quadruple her weight, and pulled her closer. “I’m not messing around, kid.”

Staged or not, this was rapidly going somewhere Fiona didn’t like. She turned her own pockets inside out, then reached to do the same to Sasha’s before she rested a protective hand on Sasha’s shoulder and tried to angle herself between the two of them.

“We didn’t take anything,” she snapped. “We were just looking. Can we go?”

With his hands at the back of their necks, the cashier threw them out of the store.

They tumbled into a heap on the pavement, and Sasha burst into giggles almost instantly. 

“That was kinda fun,” she said.

Fiona wasn’t so amused; she got up, brushed herself off and helped Sasha to her feet before she shook her head. 

“Come on.” 

She jogged down the road, twisting through the maze of alleys until they reached their designated rendezvous point. 

Sasha paced the alley while they waited, rambling as she walked. “Do you think he did it? We were pretty distracting. I hope he did. How much money do you think was in there? What are we gonna do with it?”

Arms folded, Fiona tapped her foot anxiously on the stones as they waited, unable to share in Sasha’s delight. Would Felix hold up his end of the bargain? Or were they useless to him now that he’d got what he wanted?

As the minutes added up, Fiona’s certainty they’d been had grew. She winced as she watched Sasha pace back and forth, debating aloud what food she’d buy first. Fiona sighed. It was probably only fair to temper Sasha’s expectations while she could. 

“Listen, Sasha,” she started, hands on her thighs as she crouched down, “I—”

“Felix!” Sasha cried brightly, and Fiona turned to see him standing at the end of the hallway, bag in hand. 

“Hello, girls,” he said, lifting his hand in a wave. “A very nice performance from you two.”

Sasha curtsied low. “Thank you.”

More to the point, Fiona asked, “Did it work?”

Felix smiled. He reached into his bag, pulled out a neatly bundled stack of cash, and handed it to Fiona. 

“Now _that’s_ not counterfeit,” he added, still grinning.

Fiona ran her fingers along the edge of the bills, listening to the satisfying flip. “Holy crap.”

Sasha’s head popped up underneath her arm. “We’re rich.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Felix chuckled. “But it should help.” 

Fiona nodded dumbly. It might only be a few hundred dollars, but it was more money than she’d ever held in her life.

“Oh,” he added, “there’s also these. If you want them.”

He held out the bag of muffins, and Sasha snatched it from him before Fiona could even move.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Sasha peered into the bag eagerly. “I always wanted to try these.”

While Sasha studied their loot, Fiona tucked the cash into her pocket, watching Felix. He was still smiling at them, and Fiona’s own mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown.

“Well,” she said, “thanks. For the food, and everything.” She put a hand on Sasha’s shoulder. “We should probably go.” 

She heard Sasha sigh, and could picture her pout without looking. 

Felix nodded. “Understandable. Well, thank you both for your help,” said Felix. “It’s been a pleasure.”

He held out a hand, and after a second’s hesitation, Fiona shook it. It was an oddly adult gesture, and it made Fiona feel strange, mature and unqualified all at once.

He released her hand first, stepping back, and Fiona turned, looping her arm around Sasha’s shoulder to tug her along. Next to her, Sasha deflated, clutching the bag of muffins like a prize but dragging her heels, eyes downcast. Fiona did her best to ignore it. 

“You know,” Felix called, when they were only a few steps away, “I was going to make myself dinner soon, and I should have some extra. If you’d like to join me.”

As Sasha perked up, Fiona knew there was no point in arguing. 

* * *

Dinner was even more delicious than breakfast. Sasha and Fiona topped it off by splitting a fizzy drink and one of the stolen muffins while Felix recounted stories of his own, past jobs and tricks and heists designed to impress. He even showed them a new technique for lifting a wallet. 

Sasha soaked it all in with wide eyes and a jaw ajar, but as the night wore on exhaustion caught up to her, aided by a full stomach. Her eyelids started to droop, and then her chin, and before long she was curled on the bench of the caravan, sound asleep.

Next to her, Fiona played with the empty muffin wrapper, watching her sister with a frown. She knew they ought to leave now, but moving was so much effort with a belly so full, and Sasha—for once—looked enviably peaceful. So Fiona let her sleep, and watched Felix carefully as he cleared away their plates and began to clean up. Rallying her nerves, she slid out of the bench and walked over to him.

“Can I ask you something?”

Felix’s lips twitched as he rinsed a plate. “You just did.”

Undeterred, Fiona rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, hoping she looked more serious and imposing than she felt. “Why are you doing this? Giving us all this food and stuff. I don’t get it.” 

Felix looked at her, the small grin disappearing. He was quiet for a moment, stacking the plate into a tiny drying rack. 

“Really, I mean,” Fiona continued. “We helped you get that money. It worked. So it’s done. Why? Why’d you have us back? Do you have something else planned? More fake guns? Another shop?”

Felix’s mouth had turned to a frown. “No,” he said simply. “Nothing planned.” He considered his next words carefully. “I had some extra food.”

Fiona began to shake her head. “I don’t—”

“I had some extra food,” he repeated, “and I thought it might be nice to have some company.”

She stopped short, scrutinizing him closely, trying to sniff out any sign of an ulterior motive. There was none she could see. Maybe he really did just want someone to talk to.

“That’s it?” she asked.

Felix nodded earnestly. “That’s it.” 

Her anger flared before she even knew it was happening.

“You know, you think you’re being nice but you’re not,” she snapped, hands on her hips. “It’s mean, actually.”

This, clearly, was not the response Felix had been anticipating. “I’m sorry?”

“We’re not strays. You can’t just—just—feed us and kick us out again. It’s not fair. Sasha, she’s—she isn’t—she…” 

Fiona broke off, looking over at her sister as she struggled to find the words. Unawares and deep asleep, Sasha didn’t stir. 

Fiona swallowed. “She’s too young. She doesn’t remember what it was like before, with Mom, but I do. I do, and I miss it.” Ignoring the quiver in her lip, she scowled at Felix. “You’re gonna get her used to all this, and then you’re gonna get bored and you’re gonna leave and it’s gonna be even worse ‘cause now she’s gonna know what this was like. You’re not helping! You should’ve just left us alone!”

Belatedly, Fiona realized her voice had risen almost to a shout. She snapped her mouth shut, looking over her shoulder anxiously. But Sasha’s breath was still coming in the short puffs that meant she was sound asleep. Fiona squeezed her fingers into fists and ground her teeth together.

Felix was silent for a while. Fiona could feel him watching her even as she stubbornly looked away. 

“I didn’t think of it like that,” he said eventually, gently. “I’m sorry.” From the corner of her eye, Fiona watched him lean back against the tiny oven. “I should also apologize for this morning. That was my fault. Your sister only asked for something to take home with her. She said it had been days and that she wanted to prove she could help find food, too. It was my idea that she stay for something hot. I thought she’d like it. I didn’t think about you looking for her. I’m sorry.”

Fiona pressed her lips together, staring at a spot on the caravan wall somewhere between Sasha and Felix. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she did her best to ignore it. 

“I would’ve found us something,” she said quietly. “I was going to, I—”

“I’m sure you would have,” said Felix, and she thought it sounded genuine. He let another second pass, and then asked, “It’s just the two of you?”

“Yeah. Our mom, she went out for work one night and she…” She chewed her lip for a moment, then lifted one shoulder. “She didn’t come home.” She folded her arms tight across her chest, fiddling with the thin material of her sleeve. “Since then, it’s been me and Sash.”

“That must’ve been hard,” said Felix. 

It wasn’t a question, but Fiona nodded anyway, feeling like she’d swallowed something wrong and gotten it stuck in her throat. 

“How old were you?” he asked.

“Eight.” Her voice sounded tight but she tried to ignore it. “Sasha was little.” 

“That’s very young to be on your own.”

Once again, Fiona looked over at her sister. Sasha was about eight years old herself now.

Fiona nodded. 

“You know what I think?” he continued, and when she said nothing, he carried on. “I think you must be very brave, and a very good sister.”

Fiona stared at the floor, said nothing, and sniffed. The thing in her throat felt bigger than ever.

“I used to have a partner,” Felix carried on, conversational, and Fiona was grateful to him for doing the talking. “We were together for a long time. But her way of problem solving conflicted with mine. She believed force was the best way out of a corner. Me, well, I’ve always found people on Pandora who are smarter than me are much rarer than people who are stronger than me.” She could feel him watching her, and when she looked over, he smiled. “I’d wager you’ve had the same experience.” 

Fiona snorted, letting her hands fall to her sides. “It’s not like we have a choice. What’re we gonna do, fight a gang?”

“No, but it means you got this far on your smarts. That’s impressive.” His waved one finger. “I think we could be a good team, the two of us. And your sister.”

“Sasha and I don’t need a team.” 

“Maybe not. But you’d have a roof over your heads. Reliable meals.” He nodded towards Sasha. “Some help with her.”

Back straight, she held her chin high and narrowed her eyes. “Yeah? And what’s in it for you?”

“Some extra hands. Help with jobs.” The corner of his mouth tugged upward. “Company.”

Fiona twisted her lips in contemplation, trying desperately to balance desire with practicality. Stable food and shelter alone were awfully tantalizing prospects. 

She shook her head. She had to be sensible.

“Yeah, and for how long?” she demanded. “Til you get bored of us? Til you stop wanting to share? Til you find some other kid who’s a better thief? I can’t do that.” She cleared her throat. “To—to Sasha.”

Felix shrugged. “Long as you like. But maybe just start with tonight.” He gestured towards Sasha again. “She’s already asleep, anyway. You must be tired, too.”

“I’m fine,” Fiona insisted, but now that he’d said it, it was difficult to ignore the heaviness in her head, the water behind her eyes, or the yawn fighting to break free.

Felix moved around her, heading for the door of the caravan. “Whatever you decide, you may as well stay the night.” He pointed towards the booth. “It’s not the best bed in the world, but I’ve had worse.” 

Fiona bit back a yawn, her gaze following his finger towards the tempting plush bench. It had been a long time since she’d slept on something soft. Then she frowned. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve got a room a few streets over,” said Felix. “Small, but it’s got a nice chair. You two can have this for the night.” 

Encompassing the caravan with a wave of his hand, Felix nudged open the door, and Fiona stared at him in disbelief.

“Wait, you’re just gonna leave us here? Alone? With all your stuff?” she said, brow furrowing. “You... trust us?”

“Should I not?” 

Fiona blinked at him, unsure what to say, and Felix stepped into the street. 

“I’ll see you both in the morning,” he said. “Goodnight, Fiona.”

Fiona’s hand lifted up to wave as though of its own accord. “Yeah,” she heard herself say. “Night.”

Felix shut the door behind him, and for a moment Fiona stood frozen in place, stunned and sleepy. She turned to look around the caravan, mentally cataloguing all the things inside that she and Sasha had done without for so long, all the things this man they’d just met had left with her unsupervised. 

She made it to the booth and sat down with a creak, eyes still wide. Every instinct she’d cultivated in the last few years told her to stuff her pockets with everything she could and get out of here immediately. Felix might have been kind for one day, but that meant nothing, not really. No one adopted sad Pandoran orphans just because they could. No one on Pandora was that nice. 

There were risks you took because they were necessary to survive, and there were stupid risks, the kind of risks people took when they got greedy, when they dared to gamble with anything but loaded dice. The only reason she and Sasha were still alive was because Fiona knew better than to take that second type of risk.

Mind made up, she reached to rouse her sister. If they were quick, they could scrape together some things worth a couple hundred bucks, and together with the money from the shop job, they’d have a bigger pile of cash than ever before. If they were smart, and they rationed, they’d have food for weeks. 

But as her hand hovered above Sasha’s shoulder, Fiona hesitated. Curled up with her hands by her head, Sasha’s comfort was enviable. Without a doubt, this had been her best day in a long time; Fiona struggled to recall the last time she’d seen Sasha bubble with so much excitement. Months? Years? Ever? 

Instead, what came to mind was the night before, and the way Sasha’s tiny body shook with hiccoughing sobs. 

Fiona pulled her hand away from Sasha’s shoulder and rubbed her own face with it, sighing deeply. She pulled her feet up, too, and laid on her back, letting her eyes close.

Some risks were necessary, she told herself. For survival.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr: [@oodlyenough](http://oodlyenough.tumblr.com/)


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